- SURNAME
Anderson
- FORENAME
Peter
- UNIT
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
- RANK
Staff Sergeant
- NUMBER
22450458
- AWARD
British Empire Medal
- PLACE
Hong Kong 1954
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
London Gazette 40422, 1st March 1955, Page 1315
CITATION:
British Empire Medal : On Sunday 16th May 1954, Sergeant Anderson was serving in No.1 Forward Ammunition Sub Depot, Clearwater Bay, HONG KONG. The Sub Depot holds some two thousand tons of ammunition stored in iron galvanised shelters along the roadside.
On he afternoon of the day in question, an alarm was given by a passing motorist that a tarpaulin sheet covering the end of one of a group of shelters containing white phosphorous ammunition, had caught fire. SERGEANT ANDERSON who was at that time resting in the Military Detachment Camp some 50 yards away from the shelters, immediately went to the scene. By that time the tarpaulin had burnt through and six wooden boxes inside the shelter, as well as the wooden dunnage on which the boxes stood, had caught fire. These boxes contained Grenades Hand No. 80 (White Phosphorous) of which there were some 6,500 in this one shelter alone.
Without any regard to the risks from explosion and phosphorous burns SEGREANT ANDERSON immediately set about removing an extinguishing the burning boxes. His prompt cool action, taken at considerable risk to himself, resulted in the saving of all the ammunition, and averted what would otherwise have been a most serious explosion and fire. Had such an accident occurred much damage would have been caused, with possible loss of life, in the Military Camp, and a neighbouring Chinese Village.
The Count of Inquiry which subsequently investigated the incident made special reference to the exemplary way in which Sgt. ANDERSON handled the situation.
The action taken by Sgt. ANDERSON was doubly courageous, for being a trained Ammunition Examiner he was fully aware of the risks he was taking.
Place : HONG KONG
Date of Action : 16 May 1954
How Employed : Ammunition Examiner in Ammunition Sub Depot.
On he afternoon of the day in question, an alarm was given by a passing motorist that a tarpaulin sheet covering the end of one of a group of shelters containing white phosphorous ammunition, had caught fire. SERGEANT ANDERSON who was at that time resting in the Military Detachment Camp some 50 yards away from the shelters, immediately went to the scene. By that time the tarpaulin had burnt through and six wooden boxes inside the shelter, as well as the wooden dunnage on which the boxes stood, had caught fire. These boxes contained Grenades Hand No. 80 (White Phosphorous) of which there were some 6,500 in this one shelter alone.
Without any regard to the risks from explosion and phosphorous burns SEGREANT ANDERSON immediately set about removing an extinguishing the burning boxes. His prompt cool action, taken at considerable risk to himself, resulted in the saving of all the ammunition, and averted what would otherwise have been a most serious explosion and fire. Had such an accident occurred much damage would have been caused, with possible loss of life, in the Military Camp, and a neighbouring Chinese Village.
The Count of Inquiry which subsequently investigated the incident made special reference to the exemplary way in which Sgt. ANDERSON handled the situation.
The action taken by Sgt. ANDERSON was doubly courageous, for being a trained Ammunition Examiner he was fully aware of the risks he was taking.
Place : HONG KONG
Date of Action : 16 May 1954
How Employed : Ammunition Examiner in Ammunition Sub Depot.
WEB LINKS:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40422/supplement/1315NATIONAL ARCHIVES:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7621197
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